Grass conveyer for lawn mowers



Oct. 9, 1928.

1,686,563 J. C. JOHNSON GRASS CONVEYER FOR LAWN MOWERS Fledept. 7. 1927 Patented Get. 9, i928.

A narran srarss JOHN CONRAD JOHNSON, or sfr. PAUL, rarNNnsoTA.

GRASS CONVEYER FR LAWN IVIOWERS.

Application filed September 7, 1927. Serial No. 217,997. f

lWly invention relates to improvements in mowers, particularly ylawn mowers, and the main object is to provide a simple, eiiicient, and inexpensive device, especially adapted for catching all the grass cut by the cutter reel and thrown 'rearwardly therefrom, and further to convey the grass to a place within a grass catcher to be dropped therein in the most efficient manner. Further objects and advantages will appear in the following specification reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a lawn mower embodying my invention. Y

Fig. 2 is a right side elevation of Fig. 1 but with the right hand drive wheel removed and the cutter/reel also omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the pivoted roller bearing members of ,my` device and the slotted member to which they are attached, about as on line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 isa vertical right side elevation partly in section, of my device in a modified form, as it would actually appear on the vertical plane indicated by the arrows 4 -4 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 5 designates the traction or ground wheels of any lawn mower at the inner side of each oi which is a gear housing 6 both rigidly connected by a bar 7. Each housing 6 contains gears (not shown) which are driven by the ground wheels and drive a reel shaft 8 with spiders 9 holding the reel or cutter blades 10.

' 11 is the usual ground roller trailing the ground wheels and having end pins 11P bearing in the lower end of a vertical bearing bar l 12 slidably retained in a vertical recess 6A at the rear end of each arm 6A extending rearwardly onefrom' each housing 6.

13 is the usual knife bar cooperating with the reel blades 10 to cut grass, said knife bar being adjustable to contact with the blades by a set screw14 or other suitable means.

15 and 16 are respectively an upper and a lower bolt each in anA aperture in the rear part of each arm 6A and both of said bolts at each side are passed through a slot 12s in barr12 and carrying a nut 17 inwardly 'of the said bar. Y Y

In Figs. 1 and 3 each bolt 16 is passed through overlapped ends of. two bearing levers 18-19 of which 18 extends rearwardly from the bolt and has a bore 18B for an end pin, 2OP yof' roller 2O and lever 19 eirtends forward of the bolt and has a bore 19B arm levers 19 are adjusted so that roller 21 bears against the ground roller 11 forward y ot the .vetical center line of the latter (see F 1g. 2) androller 2O is engaged by an endless fabric belt 22 bearing against roller 11 at its top part and rearwardof its center. Said belt extends rearwardly and upwardly in'an inclined plane and its rear part engages another roller 23 mounted parallel to roller 20 between side brackets 24, the forward ends of said brackets being 'apertured for the bolts 16 each of which is adapted to clamp its bracket 24 to theouter side of arm 6^- when theendless belt or conveyer has been set at a desired angle., 25 is a chain suitably fixed to the upper end of each bracket 24 and` Xtending forward toward the rear upper corner of arm 6A 'where' a hook 26 is provided to be engaged by .a link of the .caught and accumulates as the mower is working.

In the modification Fig. 4, a longer belt 22 is used .and its forward end vruns Vover roller 19, roller20 being omitted. In this casethe roller 19 is comparatively low and the belt 22 irictionally engages roller 11 and iS driven thereby, thence under roller 19 and upwardly with its upper run. y 19S indicates Lals a special long armed bearing used-.at each end of theroller. Y

In the use of my device the lawn mower is operated in the usual manner and the cut grass is thrown rearwardly fromvthe reel. Hitherto much of the grass socut, and particularly short blades, fall short of the ground roller 11 and is rolled onto the lawn againV and also a considerable quantity drops onto the frontpart of the catcher 22 instead v l,of being piled up at'the middle or rear part 1 thereof. ln the use of my device as illustrated in Figs. l'and 2 it is obvious that `f vpractically all the grass is 'caught on the l lower part ofthe oonveyer. Short blades will strike the roller 19 if they have not sur"- eient momentum to reach the eonveyer, but theyV will be thrown rearwardlyby the rotary action or said roller onto the conveyer.

Vtighteniirg` the bolts 16;

IVelaim: In a lawn mower having a pair of spaced i traction.wheels,a cutting reel operatedy by.

the movement of said wheels and a ground contacting roller rearward of said reel; a

grass 'catcher and Conveyor comprisingan' endlessfapron and arranged in an upward and rearwardly inclined plane a from Said ground roller, a roller engaging eaelrof the opposite turns or' said conveyer, one of said rollers with the said apron frictionally engaging the ground'roller to move the upper run or' the eonveyer rearwardly, angular; bracket members removably xed pivotally f, both sides of the oonveyer and extending rearwardly and upwardly to support Jthe` ends of the vrear Conveyer` roller, and;` adjustable means for supportingsaid-braelretsatpredetermined angles, said forward roller of the eenveyer arrangedto'bear the'conveyer Vdownen the ground roller on top of the lati Jcer andrearward of its .Centeraandian auX'le iary roller engaging` the' `ground roller for-1 ward of and above its Center. y

ln 'testimony whereof IV ail-lx my signature.-

JOHN CONRAD J @HN/SOIN, 

